All things shall perish from
Music alone shall live,
Music alone shall live,
Music alone shall live,
Never shall die.
Music has been a part of my life since I
learned how to play the guitar. At age six, I learned to play a simple song using
a ukulele (pronounced as /yoōkəˈlālē/) by
watching my brother-in-law as he played the instrument. Then, I learned to play
the guitar. My father bought a guitar for us even if he does not know how to
play it. When I was in the first grade, Beatles was my favourite band (until
now). I sang “No Reply”, “I Will”, “Yellow Submarine” and a lot more. I memorized the lyrics through rote learning. I didn’t
understand the lyrics, but I enjoyed singing them. Since then I call myself
music-minded. In high school, I came across with Spandau Ballet, Tears for
Fears, Jefferson Starship, Gloria Stefan and the Miami Sound Machine, Madonna
to name a few.
As time passed by, my taste in music became
varied. I learned to love
classical music like Canon in D by Pachelbel, Prelude in C sharp minor by
Sergei Rachmaninoff, Eine Kline Nachmusik (Little Nightmusic) by Mozart, Fur
Elise and Ode to Joy by Beethoven as well as contemporary music of Swift,
Perry, Lady Gaga, Shakira, Demi Lovato, Tegan and Sara, just to name a few
(again!).
My love for music brought me to the unique
music of Africa. I became interested in African music since Shakira sang Waka
Waka (the official song of 2010 FIFA) and when I thought of going to Africa as
an overseas volunteer. Music in many African cultures has varied purposes. It
is used as a means to communicate daily tasks, religious events, and even used
as calls to war. African musical instruments differ from one society to another
(Lugue et al, 2009). Africans depend on the environmental resources available.
For example, African tribes who live in the savannah (a grassy plain with few
trees) use drums which are made from animal skin and from tree trunks while
other tribes, like nomadic tribes, do not use drums to accompany their music.
Here are some of African musical instruments. (Get
your notebook to have a copy of these instruments.)
IDIOPHONES
These are commonly used instruments. The societies
which do not use drums commonly use idiophones.
 |
| Sekere rattle of Nigeria |
- Rattles
There
are two kinds of rattles – one that is held by the hands (primary rattles) and
the other which is worn by the performers on their bodies and are activated
through bodily movements (secondary rattles). Rattles are made of dried gourd
from the calabash tree and are covered with beads to create rattling sounds
when tapped or shaken.
- Clappers
 |
| Clapper |
Clappers
reproduce the sound of handclapping for ritual or ceremonial purposes. They
take the form of a wood or a stone slab resonator that is struck by a smaller
piece of the same material.
- Scraped and Stamped
Idiophones
Some sounds are produced by rubbing a gourd
against a board or by scraping a bottle with a thin. Others produce sound as
they are pounded on the ground in vertical motion. Pestles are usually used as
stamping sticks to accompany the female chorus.
- Mbira (Sansa or
hand piano)
 |
| Mbira |
This
melodic idiophone is made from a graduated series of wooden or metal tongues or strips that are arranged
and mounted on a resonator. The metal
tongues are plucked with the thumb and fingers to produce a sound similar to a xylophone.
- Xylophone
The xylophone
is a tuned instrument made of hardwood bars in graduated
lengths set horizontally on a metal frame. Striking the bars with hard mallets produces a bright, sharp sound.
The xylophone was originally an African
instrument and its name is Greek, meaning "wood sound".
MEMBRANOPHONE
 |
| African Drums |
African
music is rhythmic and percussive in nature. The use of the drums emphasizes
these characteristics. Drums are the most common instrument throughout Africa.
Drums are made of wood or made from strips of wood that are bound together. On
top of the hollow drum is a softened or stretched antelope or goatskin. These
drums are of various shapes and sizes. Some are conical, cylindrical,
cup-shaped. Others take the shape of an hourglass.
 |
| Talking drum |
The
drum plays a big role in communication. Its sound can link tribes that are
detached by tracts of forest or bushland. The talking drums have been used in
wars to signal the arrival of relief supplies.
AEROPHONES
African aerophones are of limited
variety. They are grouped as
flutes, reed pipes, horns, and trumpets.
- Flutes
 |
| An African playing panflute |
These are
usually made from bamboo, stalks of millet, the tip of a gourd, and the husks of cane. They may have
four to six finger holes that allow the
musicians to play melodies with a wide range.
- Reed pipes
These are
also made from a stalk of a millet. They are played by inhaling and exhaling through the slit around its opening.
- Horns and Trumpets
 |
| Masai warrior playing a traditional horn |
These are
made from animal horns, elephant tusks, and wood. The trumpets and horns are used for conveying signals and messages, as
well as for music.
CHORDOPHONES
 |
| African Zither |
Musical
bows are the simplest of all African chordophones. They are made of flexible sticks and strings. Some musical bows are
placed on the ground, while others are
resonated using the mouth. This type of instrument
is common in Southern Africa.
A zither
is a well-known African chordophone. It is a stringed instruments positioned horizontally. Lutes are instruments with
strings that run parallel to their necks
and are played through plucking or bowing.
Other examples
of African chordophones are haps and lyres that are used to accompany solo singing, poetry, narrative songs and
praise songs.
Music really plays an important part in our daily lives. During important celebrations, rites, rituals, and special celebrations, music is always there. Its value depends on how we use it and how we often engage in it.
What about you? How does music affect your life?
References:
Lugue, V. R., et al. 2009. Enjoy Life with Music and Arts. Manila: SD Publications, Inc.
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